J_Fisher

I did this about 7 years ago, so the memories are a little fuzzy, but here's what I remember... I think "window" and "notch" are referring to the same thing. The "Left Chimneys/4th Class Gully and couloir" version described here is what we did: http://www.way-wired.com/oldwwm/ergrand.html The description matches my recollection. It seemed pretty obvious at the time. Where we got screwed up was on the second tower. We couldn't make sense of the route description...couldn't find the "downclimb to ledges". We ended up rapping down a gnarly choss/ice/mud gully for about 50 feet to a flake system that we used to traverse across the north side to gain a chimney system that I think got us back on route. To this day I'm not sure how we got screwed up there. From the notch we probably should have looked harder for a traverse instead of rapping. The route is certainly doable in a day if you are comfortable 3d classing or simul-climbing tons of 4th and low low fifth class terrain. My partner and I were pretty green and we made the mistake of pitching it out. I lost count of the pitches we did, but between the end of the 3d class stuff and the 2d tower it was at least 15 and we were slow. There are decent bivies around the second tower. By the time we finished our shaninagans on the 2d tower it was dark and we bivied on the crest of the ridge just west of the tower. For the start, we bivied on the morraine right at the base of the climb. There was water a short scramble below, meltwater from the Teton Glacier I think. If you've never done the Grand before, plan on having some daylight to find your way off the summit to the Owen-Spalding rappells. That is not something I'd want to be puzzling out in the dark. I thought it was a cool route--definitely a classic mountaineering type route, and you cover a lot of territory. Have fun

I did NW Face of Kangaroo Temple last Saturday. Some snow fields getting to the little lake below the pass; all snow from the lake to the pass itself. We did the approach in hiking shoes, no axe, no poles, no problem. It was a hot day and we got a late start, so if you leave early you might want an axe and/or heavier footwear. Snow was melting fast though . . . I'd throw axes in the trunk and make a decision on whether to bring it on the approach once you get there.

I'll add to the chorus: I did the route as you describe in August 98 with no permits and no problems. I left the car around 4:00 (if memory serves) and was at Sunrise by around, well, sunrise. Seemed pretty unlikely there would be any rangers wandering around that early.

The biggest drawback to the Alaska picks on waterfall ice is they are noticeable harder to clean. If you overdrive one, either b/c of a panic swing or you misjudge the the density of the ice, you will pay a much higher price trying to get it back out.

I can't comment on the current trangos (trango S?) but I have the previous model and they are not waterproof (or waterproof-able) at all. Too many seams and they don't have a one piece tongue. (Yes, I waterproofed the leather and sealed the seams.) Snow and water quickly make their way through the tongue. They are misery to walk in, too.

I was out there mid-June a few years ago and all the south and east facing stuff was fine. The classic ice routes were still covered in sloppy late season snow so it was a bad time for black ice couloir and that kind of stuff. That was a low snow year though, and I don't know what it's been like this season. Check with the rangers--they know their shit. I think unstable weather is the biggest factor this time of year. I thought the Direct Exum was great, but it is very crowded. I've never done the Petzoldt but it would be a good back-up for the Direct Exum--if the line is too long just keep moving east. Irene's Arete is great. Snaz is pretty good but Caveat Emptor is better. Middle Teton Glacier is neat but pretty moderate...basically a steep snowfield with a little scrambling. I don't recommend the Beckey Couloir or the Ellingwood Couloir. Waste of time. I thought Guides Wall was overrated. 2 good pitches at the top but a bunch of crappy pitches to get there

Elliot Left Hand is a very nice 4, if a bit rambly. Starts with a long pitch of 3, some rambly stuff with a short WI3 step, then finishes with a nice WI4 curtain. The position is cool too, as you're in a box canyon sort of thing. Can have high avy danger though: you're in a narrow canyon with all of Mt. Elliot above. We were hit by what I assumed was a windslab (no recent snow in days) that released above Kitty Hawk (which is in the next gully right of Elliot LH) that would have been ugly had we been elsewhere on the route when it hit. (as it was, we were clipped to anchors during the descent: took a pummeling but no harm done). 570 is a good 4 in that neighbor hood with little avy danger.

If you're looking for ice/mixed, that early it's going to be a roll of the dice. I don't know about the snowpack this year, but you'll likely be dealing with seasonal snow instead of alpine ice. That could mean nice neve, or it could mean 8 inches of rotten muck sloughing off the ice below. It was the latter when I was out there mid-June a couple years ago. Mixed snow rock climbs might be a good bet. The Middle Teton Glacier route is fun and less committing than the mixed stuff on the Grand. South facing rock routes will probably be fine unless it's stormed very recently, though expect to bring crampons and/or ice axe for descents and possible ascents (I remember using crampons on upper exum and getting to the owens spalding raps.) the O-S could be in fun mixed shape that time of year. There's always the lower elevation rock climbs, too. Caveat Emptor was dry and the descent snow free by June in '00. I'd keep plans open and check with the Rangers once you get there. They are very competent, no-BS types and keep very current beta.

I posted a couple pics from my visit to CO over MLK weekend in the Photo Gallery. It looks like the Fang fattened up some over the week after Dale's visit. Good views of Frigid Inseminator in the pics as well. That one is fun but the gear was a bit scary . . . We also visited Rifle. Hardly anything was in. Stone Free was an itty bitty pillar with no ice on the finish. We did Soul on Ice which was thin but reasonable. Only other climbable ice was The Final Curtain. The cragging in Boulder Canyon was good too!

I'll be out there this long weeknd but won't be going to Ouray. I've heard Rifle is in really well and that Smear of Fear is fat (at least relatively speaking). Can you confirm that? I'm also sort of curious how fat the ice on Secret Probation is . . . Tr'd it last year and thought it would be fun lean with a little more ice . . . Thanks Jon Fisher

From another e-mail list: 91 Toyota 4x4 extra cab pick up w/canopy 5 speed only 143,000 miles well maint. $5200 obo Brett #20 ibaracer@attbi.com brett@eastsidemotosports.com 206-909-3798

Bunny slippers looks sweeeeet. But no beta. Does anyone know more about that one? Dru?

Try this link: http://www3.telus.net/adunham/

I don't know. I think Ponch might be hiding something . . . http://www.b3ta.com/motorbikes/

Went up for a look on 8/25. Except for a dusting of snow from the previous day's storm, the route was all very hard firn and ice, at least to our high point. We had pickets but they were worthless. The glacier itself was pretty much dry but still easy to navigate. We turned around at about 1/4 to 1/3 height because it was too late to be that low on the route and the Wx looked iffy. (2 hrs. later a big lenticular enveloped the summit dome.) From below it appeared like a line roughly approximating the one in the guide books would go at the moment, but with a bit more wandering and a fair bit of technical ice. If you go up there I would recommend 2 technical tools (or at least 2 tools and a long axe that's OK for piolet traxion).

We had the crag to ourselves, but it was 12/30 and rainy, so YMMV considerably . . .

I spent 1/2 day there during a visit to Monterrey around New Years. I thought the area was pretty cool, but the rock is less than perfect. It's volcanic breccia, a lot the crumblier stuff at Smith. We did a 5.8 gear route (Ordeal; fun and really easy), a 10a gear route (Jebs Crack?; a steep tips crack in a corner with a couple sketchy moves on less than reassuring gear) and Wet Kiss (5.9 bolted climbing featuring big moves on huge juggy knobs). Unfortunately, just as we were getting warmed up it started to pour, so we headed back and finished the day getting way-rad at the Monterey aquarium. Since the west side has a reputation for shitty rock and longer approaches, we just went to the east side. Drive was ~2 hours from Pacific Grove, but we left really early so I'd plan on more time if you do it while the rest of the world is not asleep. The approach to the main east side crag is about 5 minutes or less. E-mail (or PM) if you want more beta or to borrow my topos.

Nelly, you may be morphing Tom--who did Archer and has the killer web page--and me, who tried to do Pampas Drifter and was probably way off route. At the time I thought the route description was just laughably bad, but from looking at the pic on Tom's page I think we may have been in the wrong place--in the ledgey bushy stuff where the sun meets the shade in the pic, whereas the route may be on the sunny face. I may try to go back for a second look too. Tom, you racing this year? I actually found your page through the WMRRA page. This will be my novice year--WMRRA #913, '93 GSXR600. Not that this has anything to do with climbing . . . [ 03-29-2002: Message edited by: J Fisher ]

I went to do Pampas Drifter in October 2000 and found it pretty dissapointing from a climbing perspective. We climbed to about 2/3 to 3/4 height and found nothing but short steps linking up big, heavily vegetated ledges. We had a late start and grew tired of wrestling the shrubbery, so we just rapped from the abundant flora. In retrospect, we may have been pretty off-route, too far to clibers right and not on the face proper. If I remember right, the BB guidebook approach wasn't terribly helpful. Don't head straight towards the crag or you'll end up traversing endless steep shitty sideslopes. Just head straight to the flattish basin below BHP and follow the basin until you're directly below the face. From there head straight up low angel talus to the base. In any event it's a really pretty spot with a lot of solitude given how close you are to the road. Don't know anything about Archer, but there's a TR here: http://www.themarxes.net:8080/blackhorsepoint.html

Re the rope/chain thing: I didn't see it for the designator, but there is very definitely a steel cable (not a chain) that the fang forms around. It's anchored to at least one big tree. And as someone else indicated, the Ouray Ice Park seeds routes this way pretty commonly. The Johnston canyon episode doesn't show it "doesn't work", it just proves you need a strong anchor.

Other than the "RFC" system, none of those look very simple. To convert C to F, double the temp in C, then add 30. Eg. 9 C x 2 +30 equals 48 F. This is never more than a couple degrees off. To convert F to C just reverse the process. (duh.)

April my arse . . . http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northcentral/communication/032101-N.Casdades%20Opens.htm

I've been under the impression that the Valhalla is pretty much the standard way to do the N ridge these days. I'd love to hear other's experiences about it--I too have been wanting to get on the Black Ice and the N Ridge for a while. They were on the short list for my Tetons pilgrimage last year but I went too early in the season for north-side stuff. Maybe this will be the year. Hey Vert.Turtle--I did the E ridge myself in '96. What did you think? I thought the grovel factor was a bit high, but it's still one of the coolest routes I've ever done in the mountains (a very chilly night out above the second pillar notwithstanding . . .) Cheers

I've got my own vicarious horror story: way back when I first started climbing ('88 or so) a guy I'd climbed with a bit and was also pretty new to the sport started soloing stuff with a Soloist, which works by feeding rope if the pull is from below your waist but locks if the pull is from above your waist. He fell while in a wide crack: fist stacks popped, but foot jams held, so he toppled backwards. Since he fell upside down, the rope just fed through the device until he went off the end. He fell 100+ feet. Amazingly, he was found not long after he decked, by another party that included an EMT, of all things. Fortunately he survived, but was in ICU for eons; lots of broken bones, internal damage, head injury, the works. Never climbed again.

What accident?